


Somebody Else

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Marinette didn't like chat, Marinette likes Adrien, especially the first chapter., i'm sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:57:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Chat Noir asks Ladybug if they could date. Ladybug lets him down, none too gently. Heart crushed, Adrien decides to do what she asks and try and find someone else.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this all in one day. I'm sorry if there are mistakes. I love these characters but sadly none of them are mine. I just had this idea and needed to type it out.

“I like somebody else!”

Those words sent a bullet straight through Chat Noir’s heart. Ladybug had never snapped at him like this. He knew she never returned his flirting, but she had never said she had feelings for another. 

“You should find yourself someone new to like, Chat.” 

Ladybug didn’t wait long before she jumped off the roof they were on and yo-yoed away. Chat heard his ring beeping, but he didn’t care. ‘Ladybug will never like me back, will she?’ he thought to himself as he rocketed off the roof in search of a place he could return to his civilian attire. Eventually, he found an alley that was deserted.

In a flash, Chat Noir was gone and Adrien was in his place. He stumbled and braced himself against the brick wall next to him. He bent over, feeling as if he had been punched in the stomach. Ladybug had told him to find someone else. Someone that wasn’t her.

“You okay there, buddy?” Plagg asked, floating by Adrien’s head. 

“Lad- Ladybug,” Adrien panted as his insides were torn in two. “She- she…” His eyes filled with tears.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the black kwami moved so Adrien could see him. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“Not… Helping… Plagg.” Adrien said between gasps for air. All this time, Adrien had his hopes up that his Lady would love him back. 

“I’d let you sit and wallow,” The cat began, “But you’re going to be late for your father.”

Adrien groaned and closed his eyes to compose himself. 

“Alright,” He said, wiping away his tears, “Let’s go. This day can’t get any worse.”


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette felt horrible. She didn’t mean to say that. Chat had been shamelessly flirting with her like normal during the attack, but then right when she was getting ready to leave he sprung those words on her.

‘Ladybug, Why can’t we go out sometime? We would make a paw-some pair.’

She stopped dead in her tracks. This whole time she didn’t think Chat had been serious. Every time he flirted, she let him down. 

‘Well?’

Her earrings beeped. She was running out of time.

‘I like somebody else!’

The moment those words left her mouth, she wasn’t able to look at Chat. She knew what she would see there, and she didn’t want to see the boy who was always so optimistic look so crushed. 

‘You should find yourself someone new to like, Chat.’

Still not looking at her partner she rushed off before he could respond. The Akuma attack hadn’t been that far from where she lived, and she was able to make it back to her roof before the transformation lifted and she had turned back into Marinette. 

“Marinette?” the small, pixie-like voice of her Kwami rang out, “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” the girl said, looking at her hands, “I felt rushed, and there wasn’t time.” 

Tikki eyed her sadly before floating over to give her chosen one a hug.  
“I think I crushed him, Tikki.” 

“It’ll be okay, Marinette. You’ll see. Chat noir is your partner. He will forgive you.”

“I don’t know, Tikki,” Marinette said with tears in her eyes. “What if I ruined our partnership? What if Paris suffers because of my actions?”

Marinette moved to the trap door that lead into her room. She knew she should work on her homework, but she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. If only she had let Chat down easier. It wasn’t his fault she had a crush on her classmate. 

“Stay positive, Marinette,” Tikki said as she followed her charge down into her room. “Chat is your partner for a reason.”


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien’s alarm had been going off for a few minutes now. He couldn’t bring himself to turn it off. It had been a few days since Ladybug had crushed his soul. He hadn’t seen her since. His father was keeping him busy with photoshoots and gala’s and whatnot. 

She had told him to find someone else. It was his worse fear. He wasn’t good enough for his Lady.

“Adrien, if you don’t shut that up I’m going to stick camembert up your nose,” Plagg said as he crawled under Adrien’s blanket, hiding from the alarm.

“She doesn’t want me, Plagg,” He said, rolling over to turn off the alarm on his phone. “I’m not the cat she wants by her side.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a team. Of course she wants you by her side. Ladybug couldn’t work half as well if Chat wasn’t there helping her,” came the somewhat muffled response.

“I didn’t mean as a crime fighting partner. I’m still going to be there 100% for that,” Adrien said as he slowly got out of bed. “I meant as a romantic partner. Her heart already belongs to someone else.”

“Okay? So what’s the problem?” Plagg asked while floating out of the pile of blankets. 

“The problem, Plagg, is that I love her,” Adrien sighed. “And while it hurts so much, I’m gonna have to do what she asks.”

“Wait, what?” 

Adrien gathered his things for school. After grabbing his history book and throwing it in his backpack, he stood and mustered his courage. 

“Ladybug wants me to find someone else,” Adrien said as he opened his overshirt so Plagg could hide himself, “It’s not going to be easy to get over her – I don’t think I ever will – but I have to try.”

,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Adrien arrived at school early, for once in his life. There weren’t many people there yet, but that gave Adrien some time to think.

Chloe was a definite no. she was to spiteful and always threw herself at him. She had an evil streak that had caused one too many akuma’s for his liking. Alix was kind of competitive, but that could be a good thing he guessed. Alya was out, Nino was way too into her for him to even consider it. 

“ADRIEN!” 

Adrien snapped out of his thoughts and was pulled back to reality. Nino looked exasperated. 

“Dude, you were hardcore spacing,” Nino said while giving him a worried look. “Are you okay? I haven’t heard from you all weekend, man.”

Adrien hated to make his friend worry. He did it all too often nowadays it seemed.

“I’m good. I’m just really tired. My dad had a ton of photoshoots scheduled and with that and fencing I’m just wiped. Sorry I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you.”

“You’re old man can be quite a– “

The door blew open with a strange amount of force, making Adrien and Nino both jump. Glancing towards the door, Adrien saw it was Marinette. She was slightly out of breath.

‘What about her?’ Adrien thought to himself. ‘She’s a little shy around me, but she’s always stood up for her classmates.’

As Marinette rushed to her seat behind him, Adrien kept thinking. Out of all his classmates, she seemed like the best option to try and get to know. Like him, she always seemed to be disappearing, so he doubted she would mind him randomly going awol. 

Mrs. Bustier had started class, but Adrien’s mind was a seat away. ‘You know, she does kinda remind me of Ladybug,’ he thought to himself. ‘What’s better way to get over her than finding someone similar?’

Before the end of class Adrien had a plan. He was going to spend more time with Marinette.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hey, Marinette! Wait up!” Adrien called from the steps of the school. The dark haired girl was already at the sidewalk, but upon hearing her name she stopped and turned around.

“A-Adrien,” she stammered, “What’s up?” She looked extremely nervous, but Adrien decided to go for it before he changed his mind.

“I was wondering,” he asked, “if you would help me with history.” 

She looked as if he had popped her favorite balloon. It was at this point that Adrien realized he may have made a mistake.

“I- I mean if you wouldn’t mind,” He said as he reached out one arm towards her. “I could help you with another subject to repay you, if you wanted.” He flashed her his model smile.

“Oh, uh. Mhmm.” She said, nodding her head.

“So that’s a yes?” Adrien asked, wanting to make sure he had read her right.

“Yes! I mean, of course you need help- I mean I need help and you need help- not that you need help per say, you’re perfect. I mean, your grades are almost perfect. I mean-“

“Thank you so much, Marinette!” he said, smiling as he took out a sheet of paper. “Here is my number, if you want we can work out a time that would work best.”

Her bright blue eyes were open wide at this point. They reminded him so much of Ladybug. It was a thought that both comforted and hurt him at the same time. 

“S-sure Adrien,” she said, taking the sheet of paper from him and looking at it intently.

At this point, his driver honked the car, signaling to Adrien to hurry up.

“I gotta go, but I’m looking forward to our study session,” he said, sending Marinette a wink that sent her cheeks blazing with color. He turned right as she waved and headed straight for the back seat of the car.  
,.,.,.,.,.,

Marinette (6:38pm): Hey Adrien! Im free pretty much any day after school this week if you wanna meet up. 

Adrien’s phone flashed the message across it’s screen a few hours after he had given Marinette his number.

Adrien wasn’t all that shocked she had responded to him so soon. As soon as he read the message, he already formulated his response.

Adrien (6:40 pm): Awesome! I actually have some free time after school tomorrow. Would that work for you? :)

She took a few minutes to respond. Adrien thought she was asking her parents if that was okay.

Marinette (6:47 pm): that’ll work! Do you wanna study at my place or your’s?

Adrien thought a moment. His father probably wouldn’t like him bringing Marinette over here. He barely tolerated Nino, and even that had been a fight.

Adrien (6:50 pm): would you mind if we did it at your place? My father is kind of weird about having people over :/ 

Adrien hadn’t even been able to put his phone down before he received a response.

Marinette (6:50 pm): Not at all! See you tomorrow :) 

Adrien chuckled. It seemed Marienette was better at texting than she was talking in person. They had only ever had a full on conversation a few times before, and then he was surprised at how easy it was to listen to her.

“Dude, can you order some cheese? I’m Starving!” Plagg asked, drawing Adrien out of his texting. 

“Only if you keep it out of my backpack you pig,” 

“Me? Waste my precious Camembert on your backpack? I’d never!”


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Adrien woke up before his alarm. He was oddly excited for his study date with Marinette. He threw off his covers and was dressed in minutes. After checking his phone for messages, he decided to send one to Marinette.

Adrien (7:02 am): Good morning! We still on for our study date today? :3

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Marinette squealed. Adrien had called it a date. She had finally gotten her date with Adrien! After obsessing over what to send him back she finally replied.

Marinette (7:22 am): Good morning!! Yup! Can’t wait! I’ll meet you at the doors after last class :)

Once she sent her message, she called Alya.

“Alya! Adrien called it a date!”

“Called what a date?” Alya yawned. In the background of the phone call, Marinette could hear the sounds of Alya’s little siblings. 

“Remember? He asked me to study with him? He just messaged me asking if our study date was still on!”

“No way! You go, girl!” Alya responded as Marinette’s words sank in. “Don’t forget to clean your room.”

“Clean my room? My room’s cle-“ Marinette said as her eyes fell on her Adrien covered walls. “Gotta go!”  
,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Adrien was sitting in his first hour class. The room was almost full but Marinette hadn’t shown up yet. He was nervous, but since Marinette was known for being late he wasn’t too worried. 

Nino was ranting about the newest mix he had concocted and how it would make anyone groove to the beat. He had zoned out halfway through him explaining the technical details of the track. Three minutes after the bell rang, Marinette snuck into the classroom. Adrien couldn’t help but flash her a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

The last class had ended and Adrien was waiting outside of the school. He had told his driver he was studying at a friend’s and wouldn’t need a ride home quite yet. Glancing around, he saw Marinette approaching, talking to Alya. ‘she reminds me of someone,’ Adrien thought to himself, not for the first time. 

“Hey, girls!” Adrien called as soon as they got closer. Marinette seemed to shrink into herself a little.

“He-“ Marinette cleared her throat, “Heya, Adrien. You- you ready?” Marinettes eyes shined in the light from the sun.

“Of course, My- Marinette,” he said as he bowed. He had almost called her My Lady. this was going to be a rough day. He hadn’t seen Ladybug in a little over half a week. Hawk Moth hadn’t sent an akuma for a while. 

“Behave you two!” Alya called as she walked on to meet up with Nino. “Have fun!”

“You have your books?” Adrien asked Marinette, who blushed. 

“Uh… yup! Ready to go? to my house, ready to study date- I mean study- history right?”

Adrien chuckled at how cute Marinette could be when she was nervous. Gone was the confident leader who stood up to Chloe and protected her classmates. In her place was this adorkable girl he hoped could help him get over Ladybug.

“Which way’re we heading?” Adrien asked.

“Oh right, this way.” 

They walked for a few moments in silence before Adrien decided to break the ice. 

“Do you ever go by anything other than Marinette?” He asked her, looking down at her small face. She seemed to lose herself in the question, not answering for a few moments.

“Well, no, not really,” She said. “Maman calls me her little Marigold occasionally, but not that often.” Adrien thought for a moment.

“Would you mind if I called you Mari?” he asked. “I won’t of you don’t want me too but-“

“No!” Marinette exclaimed, shocking Adrien. “Yes! I don’t mind. I’d like that.” She smiled a blinding smile. Adrien’s heart almost skipped a beat. ‘Ladybug will never smile at me like that,’ Adrien thought to himself, forcing the smile on his face to lessen a small bit. 

“Adrien, is there something wrong?” Marinette asked. She stopped on the sidewalk and put a hand on his arm. “If there is, you can talk to me okay? You don’t have to go through it alone.”

Adrien was shocked. He didn’t know how she knew, but it was almost as if Marinette could sense it. His smile dropped a bit more. 

“Actually-“

A scream sounded from somewhere close. Adrien’s head snapped towards the sound automatically. After a few days without Hawk Moth interfering, Adrien had been bracing for another attack. Of course it had been right when he wanted it least. 

“We need to move.” Marinette said as she grabbed Adrien’s hand and ran, pulling him behind her. He was perplexed. He should be the one pulling her along and making sure she was safe.

“Mari, we need to get somewhere safe.” 

“I know a place. Come on!” 

He ran after her, praying Ladybug was already on the scene. Once he made sure Marinette was safe he would slip off and transform.

The akuma was on a rampage. ‘what if Ladybug doesn’t show because of me?’ Adrien thought to himself.

Rounding the corner, they almost ran straight into the akuma itself. Adrien acted fast and pulled Marinette into the nearest shop. The place was deserted. The people who were here were either affected by the akuma or long gone. Adrien took a deep breath.

“Where is Ladybug,” he whispered to himself. “Hurry up LB.”

He turned around to see Marinette searching for something. The look on her face was determined. She seemed fearless, given their situation.

“Adrien, come on!” She said as she grabbed his arm again. She led him to the back of the store where there was a supply closet. Opening the door, she shoved him in.

“Hey!”

“Stay here, I’ll find somewhere else to hide.”

“I’m not going to let you do that, what if you get hurt?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t move until I come back.” There was something in her expression and voice that made Adrien stay exactly where he told her to. Before she could close the door, Adrien pulled her into a hug. 

“Stay safe, Mari.” He breathed into her neck as he moved past her, closing the door with her still inside the closet. Looking around he searched for something to put in front of the door so she couldn’t leave. Once the door was barricaded, he aroused his kwami.

“Plagg, Claws Out!”

He could hear Marinette yelling behind the door for Adrien. Leaning up against the door, he could hear her talking.

“I swear, if I didn’t like that boy I’d strangle him for locking me in here.” Adrien smiled. She liked him. He had heard her say it. At least this was a girl who was smart and brave who actually liked him back.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered at the door before rushing outside and heading for the akuma.


	7. Chapter 7

Ladybug had shown up extremely late to the Akuma party. Chat Noir had been fending it off fo almost fifteen minutes.

“Care to join us, Milady?” Chat asked as he dodged a blow that would have sent him flying.

“Sorry, I was a little confined.” 

It took a mere matter of minutes after Ladybug arrived for the Akuma to be defeated and the butterfly to be cleansed. 

“Hey, Chat?” Ladybug asked once they were on the rooftop of a building a little ways away. Ladybug had wanted to talk, and so they recharged and decided to meet. Chat felt a little guilty knowing Marinette was by herself, but he needed to tell Ladybug it was okay. He hoped Marinette would forgive him.

“Yes, bugaboo?” 

“I’m really sorry with the way I acted last time,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “It wasn’t called for. I was stressed and about to change back. I wanted you to know that I still want you to be my partner. There is no one else I’d rather have fighting crime with me.”

Chat’s heart pounded. 

“It’s okay,” he said, walking towards Ladybug and placing his hands on her shoulders. “I pushed to hard. I don’t want to ever make you uncomfortable.”

Ladybug let out a small grin. Chat was relieved she seemed to take his words to heart. 

“I actually want to thank you.” Chat said, his heart in his throat. “Without your rejection, I never would have moved on. I mean, I’m not completely moved on. I don’t think I ever will be. But it did give me the push.” Chat took a deep breath before continuing. “I asked my classmate if she’d like to study with me. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a step.”

At his words Ladybug seemed to stiffen. He was confused. Shouldn’t she be happy he was trying. Trying to get over her and give her the space she needed?

“We were actually on the way to her house when the akuma attacked. It was a cat-tastropy.” He thought one of his puns might cheer her up. 

“Wait, you were going on a study date?” Ladybug asked. The air itself seemed to get heavy.

“Um, yes?”

“And you two, were going, to her house?”

Chat’s brow furled in confusion. Hadn’t he just said that?

“Ladybug?”

“Chat, I think I’ve made a horrible mistake.” 

,.,.,.,.,.,.,

A mistake? Chat didn’t understand, but befire she could question it she ran and used her yo-yo to fly off. Chat stood there dumbfounded. What did Ladybug mean? What mistake had she done.

He stood there for a few more seconds before remembering he had locked his classmate up in a closet. He rushed to the edge of the building and used his baton to propel him back towards where he left her. He hoped she wasn’t mad at him.

Dropping into a nearby alley, he called off the transformation. 

“What do you think is wrong with Ladybug, Plagg?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s out of cheese.”

“Very funny, Plagg. Hide, I have to find Marinette.”

Rushing out of the alley he went right back to the store they had taken cover in. He took a breath before running inside. He was surprised to find Marinette siting in the store. The owners hadn’t made it back yet, so they were the only two in there.

“Mari, I am so sorry.” Adrien started to say, but the look on her face broke his heart. He rushed over to her. “Marinette what’s wrong?” 

She looked so lost and confused. She wasn’t smiling and Adrien could not think of the last time he had seen that look on her face.

“Let’s walk and talk.” She said, standing up and moving towards the door. Adrien followed close behind. ‘I didn’t know leaving her would make her be this way.’ He thought to himself and made a silent oath he would never do anything to cause that look to be on Marinette’s face again.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt. There wasn’t room for both of us and I didn’t want you to get hurt by the Akuma and- “

They had reached her parent’s bakery and headed inside. 

“Maman! Papa! Adrien and I will be studying upstairs!” she called to her parents. He heard a faint okay coming from what he guessed was the supply room before they headed up to Marinette’s room.

Once inside, Marinette flopped on to her pink computer chair and put her head in her hands.

Adrien dropped down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“Mari, are you alright?” Adrien asked, watching her face for any sort of sign. Marinette took a deep breath before looking towards Adrien. Tears were streaming down her face. Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back and trying to calm her down.

“I think I made a terrible mistake.” Her words pierced Adrien, making him still in his movements. Those were almost the exact words Ladybug had told him a little while before. Adrien pulled back and looked at Marinette, wiping away some of her tears with his thumbs.

“What do you mean?” He asked, wary for the answer. She took a steadying breath.

“I have this friend,” she started, looking intently into Adrien’s eyes, “ and I have known for a while he liked me. It would have been fine and all, but I already had feelings for someone else.”

Adrien swallowed. What she was saying, it sounded an awful lot like –

“This friend and I are very close, but I snapped at him one day,” she sniffled, “And I thought I might have ruined our friendship forever. But then, you asked me to study with you and I was extremely happy.” 

Adrien didn’t know where this was going, but he had a small idea that it was something big and important.

“And then the Akuma attacked and everything went to crud. You and your stupid niceness shoved me into that closet when I was trying to protect you.” 

Slowly, certain things began falling into place. How Marinette was always late to class, how she was mysteriously never around when Ladybug came to save the day. He noticed her dark earrings, and how he has never seen her without them. 

How see looked at him with those eyes that looked exactly like Ladybug’s.

“I hurt my friend so badly. I don’t deserve you being so kind. I have liked you for months, but-“ Adrien stopped her mid-sentence.

“So this friend? Is he… the cat’s meow?” Adrien asked, his heart trying to claw its way out of her throat. “cause I had a situation eerily similar.” 

Marinette looked like she wanted to say something. Adrien hoped he was right. He hoped that what had clicked in his head was the truth. He wanted to make sure, though, before he got his hopes too high.

“I recently told a good friend of mine I liked her,” he said, keeping an eye out for signs of what he said registering with Marinette. “She didn’t feel the same, you see. Someone else already held her interest.”

Marinette seemed to recede with these words, almost as if each one landed a punch to her gut. He knew. Ladybug was Marinette. That meant the guy that had Ladybug’s heart was Adrien. He had become heartbroken because his love was in love with him.

He was ecstatic. Laughter bubbled out of his chest. He hadn’t felt this light in days. Marinette looked confused.

“What are the odds,” he said between laughter, “that the girl I chose to try and help me get over my crush was the girl who crushed me in the first place?” 

Adrien was too happy. Without thinking he leaned in and kissed Marinette. He felt her go stiff, then relax into it. After a moment, he realized what he just did.

“I’m sorry I should have asked!” Adrien began to apologize. “I just couldn’t believe that my Lady was you- that you were her-“

“I guess it’s just payback for for when Kim was Akumatized and I had to kiss you to break the spell.”

Adrien sat back. He didn’t remember that. He would have remembered kissing his Lady.

“You what?” Marinette looked sheepish.

“You were shot trying to protect me and to break the akuma’s hold I had to kiss you.” She stopped. “I can’t believe the first time I kissed you I didn’t know it was you!”

“I remember getting shot with the arrow…” Adrien racked his brain. “The next thing I know im being thrown at kim and getting his pin brooch thing.”

“I’m so sorry, kitten.” She said blushing.

“You didn’t know,” he said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Neither of us knew. I’m not going to fault you for that.”

“You’re too good for me, Chaton.”

“Oh puuuuuur-lease, Milady. If anything, I don’t deserve you.”

,.,.,.,.,.,

Adrien met Marinette outside the school that morning. As soon as she came up to him he linked his hands in hers and strolled into the building. The girls where furious, but none more so than Chloe.

The young couple had decided to tell their friends that they had hidden in the closet when the akuma attacked and learned they had a lot in common. Nino gave him a fist bump and Alya had all but barraged them with questions. 

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter, because he loved his Lady, and the even better part?

She loved him back.


End file.
